1. Field
The present invention relates to a card gaming machine and a card game playing method, in which winning or losing is judged by comparing player's hand and dealer's hand composed of a predetermined number of cards and a prize is awarded depending on the winning/losing judgment result. In particular, the present invention relates to a card gaming machine and a card game playing method capable of awarding a different prize independent of the winning/losing result in the case where a side bet of a gaming value is made.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, casinos or game arcades provide card game machines or tables for card games. Card games such as Pai Gow Poker, Draw Poker or Blackjack are well known forms of card games played by using those card game machines or tables. For these card games, cards each of which has a number and a suit (e.g., Ace of Hearts) are used. And a value of a prize to be awarded to a player is determined based on a hand of cards dealt to each player (hereinafter referred to as “player's hand”) and a hand of cards dealt to a dealer (hereinafter referred to as “dealer's hand”).
As one of examples of inventions related to such card game machines or tables, there is one invention disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,793,220. In Pai Gow Poker, seven cards are dealt to a dealer and a player (one through six players), respectively. Then the dealer and each player divide the seven cards into two hands: a five-card hand (high hand) and a two-card hand (low hand). Finally, the numbers and suits in sets of the players' and those of the dealer's hands are compared to determine winning/losing and/or values of awards.
In conventional card gaming machines and card game playing methods, when a player wins the dealer, a payout is determined unambiguously according to the hand of cards the player holds (e.g., straight flush, full house, etc).
Therefore, once cards have been dealt out and at a player's own hand, the player can predict, to a certain degree, possible prizes in a game. That is, if a hand of cards a player holds is not good, the player's expectation in high prize will be very slim. In this case, the player might lose interest in the game as well.
According to the card gaming machine and a card game playing method disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,793,220, in case a predetermined side bet has been made, the card game is played using player's hands on standard Pai Gow Poker. In detail, when a predetermined number of cards, the number of which to be dealt depends on a manner of a side bet, are dealt out, presence of a winning combination with the predetermined number of cards for the side bet is judged. And a player gets an extra prize (i.e. bonus) for the winning combination on the side bet, irrespective of winning/losing in the Pai Gow Poker. For example, in case a side bet is made for a three-card low hand, presence of winning combination of the three-card low hand is judged when cards for the three-card low hand are dealt out to all of the players. According to the conventional card game playing method, a prize depending on kind of put hand (e.g., same suit flush) is awarded to a winning player irrespective of winning/losing in Pai Gow poker.
However, the card gaming machine and the card game playing method disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,793,220 is not free from the conventional card game problem discussed earlier. That is, players can predict, to a certain degree, their possible prizes in a game as soon as cards are dealt out. And if a player does not hold a good hand, the player's expectation in high prize will be very slim, which induces decrease of interest in the game.
The same is also observed even in a card game with a side bet option described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,793,220. Namely, players can predict their possible prizes in a game as soon as cards, the number of which is predetermined depending on side bet condition, are dealt out. To be short, also in a card game with a side bet option, if a player does not hold a good hand, the player's expectation in high prize will be very slim, which induces decrease of interest in the game.
To address the above-discussed problems in the related art, it is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a card gaming machine and a card game playing method, in which winning or losing is judged by comparing player's hand and dealer's hand composed of a predetermined number of cards and a prize is awarded depending on the winning/losing result, on condition that a betting of a gaming value is made. In particular, the present invention relates to a card gaming machine and a card game playing method capable of raising players' expectation in prizes and interest in the card game by providing different prizes independent of the results of the winning/losing judgment in the case where a side bet of a gaming value is made.